Fire safety for winter
The following list is a summary of major causes of house fires. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade urges all community members to familiarise themselves with these tips. The tips are designed to allow you to take action to make your family safe from fire.
Heating – portable heating equipment – stable position – keep safe distance away from all combustible material, eg. curtains and clothes. Make sure all installed heaters are maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications.
Open Fires – Insure fire screens are always in position. “All solid fuel heaters should have chimneys cleared annually - only use dry timber”.
Children – should be under adult supervision in the presence of heating appliances, candles, oil burners, incense and BBQ’s, when they are operating.
Clothes Dryers – clean lint filters regularly. Don’t leave on for long periods of time. Make sure they go through their full cycles, which includes cool down. Never leave your home with any electrical appliances operating.
Electric Blankets – it is recommended that they are turned on half an hour before going to bed and then turned off at the power point when getting into bed. Never sleep with the electric blanket on. These should be stored flat. Secure tight on bed, damaged wires cause fires.
Exhaust Fans – make sure they are turned off when not in use. Check for build up of materials, eg. lint and fluff and electric motor.
Heat Packs – read and follow the manufacturers’ instructions. Use suggested heating times as a guide only. Do not reheat until cold. Watch for signs of over use.
Smoke Alarms – all existing residential dwellings must have an alarm fitted by February 1999. The bare minimum is one alarm per level of the home. Change Your Clock – Change Your Smoke Alarm Battery. Test your smoke alarm weekly. Clean monthly by vacuuming the surface of the alarm. Place one in each child’s bedroom connected to an alarm in parents bedroom.
Dead Lock – never dead lock yourself in your home, SMOKE, TOXIC GASES and FIRE spread rapidly, time is limited for your escape.
Cigarettes – ensure ash and butts are completely extinguished before going to bed. Use deep sided ashtrays. Never smoke in bed.
Toys – keep children’s toys, especially those made from plastic away from heating sources. They produce thick black toxic smoke when burnt.
Cooking – never leave cooking unattended. Cooking fires are the most common cause of residential fires. Don’t get distracted when cooking.
Clothing – when purchasing clothing for children, such as pyjamas, nighties etc. look for CATEGORY 1 GARMENTS LOW FIRE DANGER labels, also elderly people should consider buying clothing which is close fitting, made from wool and will offer a higher degree of fire resistance than synthetic materials.
BE PREPARED – Have an evacuation plan and practice it. Assemble at your meeting point eg. letterbox. Ring Fire Brigade on 000 from a neighbours house. NEVER go back into a burning house. Have an extinguisher and fire blanket in the kitchen and know how to use them.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT – COMMUNITY EDUCATION on 9665 4464